[118th Congress Public Law 202]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[[Page 2687]]
TRANSPORTATION SECURITY SCREENING MODERNIZATION ACT OF 2024
[[Page 138 STAT. 2688]]
Public Law 118-202
118th Congress
An Act
To require the Transportation Security Administration to streamline the
enrollment processes for individuals applying for a Transportation
Security Administration security threat assessment for certain programs,
including the Transportation Worker Identification Credential and
Hazardous Materials Endorsement Threat Assessment programs of the
Administration, and for other purposes. <<NOTE: Dec. 23, 2024 - [S.
3959]>>
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the
United States of America in Congress assembled, <<NOTE: Transportation
Security Screening Modernization Act of 2024. 49 USC 114 note.>>
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ``Transportation Security Screening
Modernization Act of 2024''.
SEC. 2. DEFINITIONS.
In this Act:
(1) Administrator.--The term ``Administrator'' means the
Administrator of the Transportation Security Administration.
(2) HAZMAT endorsement.--The term ``HAZMAT Endorsement''
means the Hazardous Materials Endorsement Threat Assessment
program authorized under section 5103a of title 49, United
States Code.
(3) State.--The term ``State'' means each of the several
States, the District of Columbia, and the territories and
possessions of the United States.
(4) TSA.--The term ``TSA'' means the Transportation Security
Administration.
(5) TWIC.--The term ``TWIC'' means the Transportation Worker
Identification Credential authorized under section 70105 of
title 46, United States Code.
SEC. 3. STREAMLINING OF APPLICATIONS FOR CERTAIN SECURITY THREAT
ASSESSMENT PROGRAMS OF THE TRANSPORTATION
SECURITY ADMINISTRATION.
(a) <<NOTE: Deadlines.>> Streamlining.--
(1) <<NOTE: Regulations. Procedures. Determination.>> In
general.--Not later than 2 years after the date of the enactment
of this Act, the Administrator shall take such actions as are
necessary, including issuance of an interim final rule if
needed, to streamline the procedures for individuals applying
for or renewing enrollment in more than one TSA security threat
assessment program, in particular, the TWIC and HAZMAT
Endorsement programs, and any other credentialing programs as
determined by the Administrator, by--
(A) permitting an individual to enroll at any TSA
authorized enrollment center once for a threat
assessment program endorsement and use the application,
including
[[Page 138 STAT. 2689]]
associated biometric and biographic data, as well as
information generated by TSA's vetting, for one of such
programs to enroll in any other of such programs;
(B) <<NOTE: Fees.>> permitting an individual to
visit any TSA authorized enrollment center and enroll in
more than one TSA security threat assessment program at
the same time for a fee that is less than the cumulative
fee that would otherwise be incurred for each such
program separately;
(C) permitting an individual to undergo a
streamlined and expeditious renewal process;
(D) aligning the expiration of an individual's
successful, valid eligibility determination with the
expiration of that individual's eligibility to
participate in subsequent TSA security threat assessment
programs to which the individual applies;
(E) providing to States the expiration dates for
each individual's TSA security threat assessment to
ensure a commercial driver's license of an individual
who holds a HAZMAT Endorsement does not indicate the
individual is authorized to transport hazardous
materials after the expiration date of the enrollment of
the individual in the HAZMAT Endorsement security threat
assessment program if such commercial driver's license
has an expiration date that is different from the
expiration date of such enrollment; and
(F) enrolling an individual in a subsequent TSA
security threat assessment program at the minimum cost
necessary for the TSA to cover printing, issuance, and
case management costs, costs associated with the
collection of any additional biometric and biographic
data in accordance with paragraph (3), and other costs
that are not duplicative.
(2) State requirements for streamlining.--Not later than 6
months after the date of the enactment of this Act, the States
shall carry out the responsibilities of the States pursuant to
section 5103a of title 49, United States Code.
(3) Special rule.--If an individual under this subsection is
at different times applying for or renewing enrollment in more
than one TSA security threat assessment program, such individual
may be required to revisit a TSA authorized enrollment center
for the collection of additional data, such as biometrics,
necessary for any such program that were not so collected in
connection with any other such program.
(b) <<NOTE: Public information. Web posting.>> Publication.--The
Administrator shall post on a publicly available website of the TSA
information relating to the streamlining of the enrollment processes for
individuals applying for more than one TSA security threat assessment
program described in subsection (a).
(c) Expedited Rulemaking.--Notwithstanding sections 551 through 559
of title 5, United States Code, nothing in this section shall require
notice and comment rulemaking, and to the extent it is necessary to add
additional requirements for which limited rulemaking may be advisable,
the Administrator shall implement such requirements through publication
of an interim final rule.
(d) <<NOTE: Deadline.>> Briefing.--Not later than 180 days after the
date of the enactment of this Act, the Administrator shall brief
Congress on progress made toward the implementation of this section.
[[Page 138 STAT. 2690]]
SEC. 4. <<NOTE: Deadlines.>> ELIMINATING DUPLICATIVE COSTS.
(a) Audit.--Not later than 1 year after the date of the enactment of
this Act, the Comptroller General of the United States shall audit the
administration of the security threat assessment programs by the TSA and
the States, including the TWIC and HAZMAT Endorsement programs.
(b) Elements.--
(1) TSA audit.--In conducting the audit of the TSA required
by subsection (a), the Comptroller General shall--
(A) identify any redundancies and duplications in
costs and administration of security threat assessment
programs that if eliminated would not impact national
security and any benefits of eliminating such
redundancies and duplications and improving the
experiences for individuals applying for or renewing
enrollment in more than one TSA security threat
assessment program;
<<NOTE: Review.>> (B) review the impacts of the
implementation by the TSA of recommendations from
previous studies conducted by the Comptroller General,
including GAO-07-756 and GAO-17-182, on increasing the
efficiency and effectiveness, and reducing costs, of
processing applications for enrollment and renewal in
TSA security threat assessment programs;
(C) <<NOTE: Review. Determination.>> review the
findings of the assessment required by section 1(b) of
the Act entitled ``An Act to require the Secretary of
Homeland Security to prepare a comprehensive security
assessment of the transportation security card program,
and for other purposes'', approved December 16, 2016 (46
U.S.C. 70105 note; Public Law 114-278) and determine
whether the TSA has implemented any remedies to
redundancies and duplication identified by that
assessment and whether such implementation impacted
national security;
(D) <<NOTE: Determination.>> determine whether there
are unique challenges rural applicants have with
accessing TSA security threat assessment programs;
(E) <<NOTE: Assessment.>> assess the numbers and
locations of enrollment centers for meeting the needs of
such programs, including determining the access provided
to rural applicants;
(F) identify potential opportunities that exist to
improve the enrollment center operations of and customer
experience with such programs;
(G) identify potential opportunities to harmonize
the enrollment, vetting, and renewal processes of such
programs in which similar information is collected for
similar security threat assessment processes for
different vetted credentials while not impacting
national security;
(H) identify other ways the TSA can reduce the costs
of the TSA security threat assessment programs while not
impacting national security; and
(I) <<NOTE: Review.>> review the vetting,
application, and enrollment processes of each TSA
security threat assessment program.
(2) <<NOTE: Review.>> State audit.--In conducting the audit
of the States required by subsection (a), the Comptroller
General shall review--
(A) the administration of the HAZMAT Endorsement
program by the States;
[[Page 138 STAT. 2691]]
(B) methods by which the States could streamline the
HAZMAT Endorsement program; and
(C) any potential barriers States face administering
TSA security threat assessment programs for individuals
applying to TWIC and the HAZMAT Endorsement program or
individuals that already have a TWIC credential.
(c) Report and Recommendations.--Not later than 180 days after the
date of the completion of the audit required by subsection (a), the
Comptroller General of the United States shall submit to the
Administrator, the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation of
the Senate, and the Committee on Homeland Security of the House of
Representatives a report that includes--
(1) <<NOTE: Summary. Analysis.>> a summary and analysis of
the costs associated with the operation and administration of
each individual TSA security threat assessment program;
(2) <<NOTE: Summary. Analysis.>> a summary and analysis of
the application and enrollment costs associated with providing
an individual multiple credentials under TSA security threat
assessment programs;
(3) an identification of any potential duplicative processes
associated with an applicant applying for, or the vetting or
enrollment by the TSA of an individual in, a subsequent or
multiple TSA security threat assessment programs;
(4) a breakdown of costs borne by applicants for current
enrollment and renewal processes of such programs;
(5) ways to improve access to such programs, including for
rural applicants;
(6) any potential recommendations to the TSA for reducing
costs and streamlining the administration and operation of each
TSA security threat assessment program while not impacting
national security;
(7) any potential recommendations for the TSA to administer
such programs in a way that would improve national security; and
(8) any potential recommendations for ways States can
improve their role in administering the HAZMAT Endorsement
program and streamline the application process or reduce costs
for individuals seeking multiple transportation security
credentials.
(d) <<NOTE: Time periods.>> Implementation.--
(1) In general.--Not later than 1 year after the date of the
receipt of the report required by subsection (c), the
Administrator shall--
(A) implement the recommendations from such report;
(B) <<NOTE: Notice. Timelines.>> provide to the
Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation of
the Senate and the Committee on Homeland Security of the
House of Representatives a written notification
detailing--
(i) the timeline for implementation of each
recommendation from the report;
(ii) justifications for any implementation
timeline lasting longer than 2 years; and
(iii) justifications for recommendations that
the Administrator has declined to pursue or
implement.
(2) Briefings.--Not later than 60 days after the date of the
receipt of the report required by subsection (c), and annually
thereafter until the date that the TSA has implemented each
recommendation made in such report, the Administrator shall
[[Page 138 STAT. 2692]]
brief the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation of
the Senate and the Committee on Homeland Security of the House
of Representatives on the implementation of recommendations from
the report.
Approved December 23, 2024.
LEGISLATIVE HISTORY--S. 3959 (H.R. 5840):
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HOUSE REPORTS: No. 118-888 (Comm. on Homeland Security) accompanying
H.R. 5840.
CONGRESSIONAL RECORD, Vol. 170 (2024):
Nov. 20, considered and passed Senate.
Dec. 18, considered and passed House.
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